Two St. Louis chefs have been recognized by the James Beard Foundation for their culinary skills and have moved forward in the award process. Earlier this year seven St. Louis area chefs and restaurateurs were announced as James Beard Foundation semifinalists in a number of categories, including Best Chef, Midwest, Outstanding Restaurateur, Outstanding Bakery and Emerging Chef to name a few.
With today’s announcement from the prestigious organization, the remaining nominees will find out if they’ve won an award in their perspective categories on Monday, June 16. The winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony, which is taking place in Chicago.
Loryn Nalic, of Balkan Treat Box and Telva at the Ridge, has moved one step closer to being awarded Best Chef, Midwest. Nalic is a four-time James Beard semifinalist, and received the Best Chef, Midwest nomination in 2024, 2023 and 2020. With this year’s Best Chef, Midwest nomination, Nalic is up against chefs in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Omaha.
The other St. Louis nominee is Jane Sacro Chatham, who is chef de cuisine at Vicia. Chatham, who was selected as a Sauce Ones to Watch in 2020, is up for the Emerging Chef award. Chatham has been a part of Vicia since it opened in 2017. Originally from the Philippines, Chatham attended St. Louis Community College and started her culinary career as a line chef. For the Emerging Chef award nomination, Chatham is up against chefs in larger markets like New Orleans, Philadelphia and Dallas.
2025 marks the 35th anniversary for the prestigious awards, which are considered to be among the nation’s most honored awards in the industry. The James Beard Awards recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, and highlight equity and sustainability in the industry.
This article appears in April 2025.